WORLDS APART
We just won’t repeat the terrible mistakes of last failed campaign, says England scrum-half Youngs
Lancaster hands Ben the chance of redemption after Johnson nightmare
FOUR years ago Ben Youngs limped into the World Cup under-prepared and barely fit for purpose. After damaging knee cartilage in an ill-advised wrestling session in training, Youngs required surgery that left his tournament preparation in tatters and his confidence dented.
The scrum-half’s personal battle mirrored that of an entire squad ill at ease with themselves following a miserable pre-tournament camp which would be heavily criticised in the bitter fall-out of a disastrous campaign.
A leaked report portrayed Martin Johnson’s coaching team as unfit for purpose, with ‘terrible’ man-management skills and players ‘mentally and physically drained’ before the tournament in New Zealand even began. One player talked of a ‘dour, depressing set-up’ with minimal communication between coaches and players as tensions simmered beneath the surface.
Four years on, Youngs is one of only six survivors from Johnson’s squad still in with a shot at redemption as Stuart Lancaster considers his options before culling the 39-man party he has now to 31 by the end of August.
‘It’s just worlds apart to last time, it really is,’ said Youngs at England’s training base in Surrey.
‘It’s very much player-led here; Stuart encourages people to lead, encourages people to talk. His door is always open, all the coaches want to tap into your knowledge because you’re the ones on the field, but also ultimately they give you the framework — “this is how we’re going to play, this is how we’ll attack it, now you as players go and own it”.
‘It’s a lot different and there’s a real understanding between players and coaches of how we want to play and where we want to go as a side. It allows you easily to prepare and have conversations and say “I don’t know if this is going to work”, to run it twice in training, and the coach will say “Yeah I see your point, let’s tweak it”.
‘You can have those conversations and relationships, it’s a lot different. You wouldn’t have had that before.’
Scrum coach Graham Rowntree, who remains in Lancaster’s new regime as forwards coach, was the only member of Johnson’s backroom staff to avoid savage criticism in the hugely damaging report.
Attack coach Brian Smith and forwards coach John Wells followed Johnson out of the door in the weeks following England’s worst World Cup campaign in history.
According to a new book ‘The House of Lancaster’, Saxons coach Lancaster drew up a 159-point plan to improve England’s culture and performance before surprisingly being handed the reins for the 2012 Six Nations and bringing on board recently retired duo Andy Farrell (defence) and Mike Catt (attack) to his backroom staff.
Far from the stifling, top-down environment that had gone before, Lancaster has fostered a more inclusive approach with players, coaches and backroom staff encouraged to drive standards through open and frank communication.
With the military mantra ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ at the forefront of his mind, Lancaster and his coaches have ensured every last detail of the current camp has been thought through. ‘Everything has a purpose now,’ said Youngs. ‘There’s nothing we do that’s mindless. You can see the thought and the reasoning behind everything. It’s been really intense but I’m enjoying all that. It’s the most planned schedule I’ve ever been involved in.
‘You know what’s coming, but the coaches mix up the sessions. Having the variety, keeping it fresh but also having a purpose, you can see the reasoning behind it.
‘Sometimes with your club you can just get a beasting for the sake of getting a beasting without any thought behind it in terms of transferring it to rugby.
‘When we’re doing fitness, we’re doing fitness which leads into rugby. You’re then training and practising fatigued so you have to execute when you’re really knackered. It makes complete sense.’
Johnson was criticised for showing too much loyalty to senior players he had played alongside, a number of whom were involved in the infamous dwarf-tossing night in Dunedin which led to World Cupwinner Mike Tindall being pictured drunk at a string of night spots.
Youngs, then just 21, was one of several young players, including current squad members Dan Cole and Courtney Lawes, who were frustrated by what they saw as lack of professionalism from senior players who should have known better. Some were accused of chasing money over glory while those who trained too hard were mocked. It did not take long for the wheels to fall off in spectacular fashion.
Youngs said: ‘I wish I knew what I know now, then, and perhaps I could have done something different. That’s hindsight and you learn. It’s so different to four years ago. I don’t think we’ll have any issues. Guys are so committed to the opportunity and what a chance we have in playing in a home World Cup. It’s just a different set-up.’
With only three No9s remaining in Lancaster’s squad, fitness permitting Youngs is assured of making the final cut alongside 2011 tourist Richard Wigglesworth and Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care, who missed out four years ago after breaking a foot bone in the build-up.
After an impressive Six Nations, Youngs is in pole position to start alongside George Ford in the opening World Cup clash against Fiji on Friday, September 18, and with Wales, Australia and Uruguay to play on successive weekends, England must hit the ground running.
‘We know with the Fiji opening game, we’ll have to be right on it,’ added Youngs.
‘That helps. It is a tough pool but it works great because you have to be on it from the start and be battle hardened and be playing in knockout games from the start.
‘People might think “will that burn you out?” I don’t think it will. If anything, it just preps you great and means that we have to peak against Fiji at eight o’clock on the 18th and be on it from then onwards.’